Compare
COUNTRY Financial vs State Farm
Two agent-sold life insurers: COUNTRY is regional (19 states) with IUL; State Farm is national, larger and ranked 2nd by J.D. Power in 2026.
Verdict
COUNTRY Financial and State Farm share a business model: life insurance sold by exclusive local representatives, with auto and home coverage from the same group alongside. Both offer participating whole life that can earn non-guaranteed dividends. The differences are footprint, size and product breadth.
COUNTRY Financial was formed by the Illinois Farm Bureau and sells in 19 states through more than 2,000 representatives. It ranked #60 among U.S. life groups by 2024 individual life premiums ($445.5 million). State Farm's two life companies sell nationally except in Massachusetts and ranked #6 ($5.89 billion). COUNTRY's lineup goes further on the permanent side: it sells indexed universal life, with a 15-year no-lapse guarantee for issue ages 0 to 65, and variable life and annuities through its broker-dealer. State Farm sells universal life but no indexed or variable life, and has a longer track record in published service data, including a stated payout timeline of about one to three business days once it has what it needs.
On ratings, AM Best affirmed COUNTRY Life at A+ (Superior) in August 2026. State Farm's life companies were downgraded to A+ (Superior) from A++ in November 2025, so both now sit at the same AM Best level, with different dates and histories. State Farm ranked 2nd of 23 brands in the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study; COUNTRY was not ranked. COUNTRY is also in a legal dispute with the American Farm Bureau Federation over Farm Bureau membership, which concerns the affiliation rather than policy terms.
Choose COUNTRY Financial if
- You live in one of its 19 states and want a local representative.
- You want indexed universal life from an agent-sold insurer, or a return of premium option on 20- and 30-year term.
- You value a broad rider menu, including guaranteed insurance option and child term convertible to whole life at 23.
- You want a regional company that says it has held A or higher from AM Best since 1933.
Choose State Farm Life if
- You live outside COUNTRY's footprint, or you already have a State Farm agent for auto or home coverage.
- You want the strongest consumer-satisfaction signal: a 2nd-place J.D. Power 2026 ranking.
- You prefer participating whole life from a very large life operation that reported a record $924 million in dividends for 2025.
- You want term that converts to permanent coverage regardless of health.
- You do not live in Massachusetts, where State Farm does not currently sell life insurance.
Key differences
| COUNTRY Financial | State Farm Life | |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 19 states | Nationwide except Massachusetts |
| Ownership | COUNTRY Financial family, formed by the Illinois Farm Bureau | Stock companies owned by State Farm Mutual Automobile |
| How you buy | COUNTRY representatives; online quote request | State Farm agents; no fully online purchase |
| Term lengths | 10, 15, 20, 30 years | Select Term 10, 20, 30 years; return of premium 20 or 30 |
| Indexed or variable life | IUL; variable through COUNTRY Capital Management | Neither |
| AM Best | A+ (Superior), August 2026 | A+ (Superior), November 2025 |
| J.D. Power 2026 | Not ranked | 2nd of 23 brands |
Before you decide
Both channels are captive, so a representative will not quote the other company; collect written quotes for the same coverage from each and from an independent broker using how to compare life insurance quotes fairly. If you are considering whole life, ask for the dividend history and how dividends are used, and read captive vs independent life insurance agents. Check the rating dates and what each agency covers in AM Best, S&P, Moody's and Fitch ratings explained.
Side by side
| COUNTRY Financial | State Farm | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Farm Bureau life insurers | P&C-affiliated life insurers |
| Customer service | 866-268-6879 | 800-782-8332 |
| Life claims | — | 877-292-0398 |
| Website | countryfinancial.com/en/insurance/life-a… | statefarm.com/insurance/life |
| NAIC group | COUNTRY Insurance & Financial Services group | State Farm group |
| Headquarters | Bloomington, Illinois | Bloomington, Illinois |
| Founded | 1929 | 1929 |
| Ownership | Part of the COUNTRY Financial family of companies, formed by and affiliated with the Illinois Agricultural Association (Illinois Farm Bureau) | Stock life companies wholly owned by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, a policyholder-owned mutual |
| Parent company | — | State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company |
| Where it sells life insurance | — | Every state except Massachusetts, plus Washington, D.C.; New York and Wisconsin residents are served by State Farm Life and Accident Assurance Company |
| New York company | — | State Farm Life and Accident Assurance Company (also serves Wisconsin) |
| How it sells | COUNTRY Financial representatives (exclusive agents), with online quote requests | State Farm agents (exclusive agents who sell only State Farm products) |
| U.S. individual life rank (2024) | 60 | 6 |
| Individual life premiums (2024) | $445.5 million | $5.89 billion |
| U.S. market share (2024) | 0.29% | 3.77% |
| AM Best financial strength | A+ (Superior) | A+ (Superior) |
| J.D. Power | — | Ranked 2nd of 23 brands (692 points; study average 649) in the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Individual Life Insurance Study |
| Term lengths | 10, 15, 20 and 30 years | Select Term in 10, 20 and 30 years; Return of Premium Term in 20 and 30 years; all renewable yearly to age 95 |
| No-exam options | COUNTRY says some applicants can skip the medical exam through simplified or accelerated underwriting, depending on coverage and policy | Instant Answer Term: $50,000 to age 50 or for 10 years, whichever is longer, decided in the agent's office with no medical tests |
| Maximum issue age | — | Select Term 10 to age 75, 20-year to 65, 30-year to 45; universal life to age 85 |
| Policyholder dividends | — | The two life companies paid $924 million in policyholder dividends for 2025, the most in their history |
| Best suited to | Families in COUNTRY's 19 states who want term or participating whole life from a local representative backed by a long-standing A+ rating. | Households that already use a State Farm agent for auto and home coverage and want term or participating whole life from the same office. |
| Products |
|
|
| Riders |
|
|
Facts come from each insurer's profile, where every figure carries its source and review date. Premiums are personal: compare quotes for the same coverage, not just companies.
Last reviewed October 24, 2026